CEBU CITY, Philippines – There are now 18 patients under investigation (PUIs) in Central Visayas, the latest data from the state health bureau shows.
The figures, shown on the Department of Health’s (DOH) 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) tracker, mean that the number of PUIs in the region has increased by two cases from 16 on February 9.
However, the breakdown of the figures was not elaborated during DOH’s press briefing and press statement released Monday, February 10.
It can be recalled that in an earlier press conference last Friday, February 7, DOH in Central Visayas (DOH – 7) clarified that there may be a discrepancy on the data between them and DOH’s central office due to deadlines on relaying data from the regional offices to the headquarters.
They also said there are times they won’t be able to make it due to a ‘vetting process’ needed to confirm reports of suspected PUIs from the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental.
READ MORE: DOH-7: More patients under investigation for nCoV in Central Visayas
DOH – 7, for their part, stressed that official data would always come from their headquarters in Metro Manila.
DOH said 48 PUIs were discharged as of noon of February 10 ‘under strict monitoring’ while they are waiting for laboratory results of 202 cases from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
At 105, the National Capital Region has the most number of PUIs followed by Central Luzon with 27, CALABARZON with 26, and Western Visayas and Central Visayas – both with 18.
The first three confirmed patients of the 2019 -nCoV in the Philippines, all of whom were Chinese tourists from Wuhan City, arrived in the country via Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
From Cebu, two of them traveled to Dumaguete City on January 21 while the other one went to Bohol on January 20.
DOH, in a press statement, also said their progress for the contact tracing of the 60-year-old Chinese female who went to Bohol is now at 56 percent.
“A total of 224 (56%) out of 403 contacts were traced, including co-passengers and individual contacts from hotels and hospitals,” they said.
The department also said 147 of them were placed on home quarantine while eight were admitted for isolation after showing symptoms.
DOH announced in a press briefing that they have completed the contact tracing for the Chinese couple who traveled to Dumaguete City.
READ MORE: BREAKING: Contact tracing for first two confirmed cases complete – DOH
Meanwhile, global data showed that the novel coronavirus which originated in Wuhan City of Hubei province, central China has already claimed 910 lives – surpassing the record of SARs-CoV, a previously known coronavirus strain which killed 744 – as of 5:16 pm today.
The 2019 nCoV also has 40, 561 confirmed cases in at least 28 countr /rcgies.